Getty Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson celebrates during the team's 2022 NBA championship victory parade.
In the immediate aftermath of the Golden State Warriors‘ championship victory over the Boston Celtics, Klay Thompson looked like a man who didn’t want to leave the dais during his postgame media availability. Of course, Thompson had more reason than most to savor the Dubs’ latest title.
For more than 900 days, there were questions about whether the five-time All-Star would ever resemble his old self again; whether he would return to the Warriors at all. And if he did, would it even matter or was Golden State’s goose finally cooked?
So, for him to come back, average 20 points per game during the regular season and then lead his team in total minutes played in the playoffs en route to netting his fourth ring was a Herculean feat.
Thompson hasn’t stopped savoring the big win, either. And during the Warriors’ victory parade on Monday, his zest for the moment led to some hilarious accidents.
Klay Goes Bananas During Victory Parade
In true Captain Klay style, the Warriors sharpshooter opted to boat across the San Francisco Bay to get to the team’s title celebration. As seen in the video above, though, the championship hat that he received on the night of the Dubs’ NBA Finals clincher wasn’t long for the journey.
Thompson was livestreaming his maritime journey to the parade via Instagram when, out of nowhere, the wind claimed his cap in dramatic fashion. “Oh no!” he called out as the hat went flying off his head and into the Bay. “I lost my hat!”
That was only the beginning of the hijinx for the 32-year-old, though. Once he got to the actual parade — where his signature captain’s hat took the place of his lost cap — Thompson was snapped almost losing one of his championship rings:
Capt. Klay Thompson appears to drop one of his FOUR championship rings while celebrating with friends. Some fans thought he was joking. Gave it a kiss before he moved on. #WarriorsParade @sfchronicle
Also, he trucked a parade-going fan Patrick Willis-style:
Klay wyd? 💀
(via paolo.m__/IG)
To Klay’s credit, he stopped to check on the fan before continuing on with his revelry. And, again, he has a whole lot to celebrate after battling so hard to get back to the mountaintop, so some wild’n out was to be expected.
Still, Dub Nation can only hope that the baller is safe and secure somewhere nice and quiet where he can’t pose further danger to himself, his fans, his rings or his hats.
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Warriors Parade Left Carnage In Its Wake
Players and coaches may have escaped their Bacchanalia unscathed but not everyone was so lucky. As reported by SFGate, no less than 90 medical calls were made for service along the Warriors’ parade route.
“Approx 21 out of 90 taken to ER for heat, trauma, cardiac issues, diabetic issues and others,” tweeted Mary Ellen Carroll, San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management lead. “Many thanks to our 1st responders for their work today.”
Afterwards, there was a massive clean-up job to contend with as well:
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